


The Parent-Teacher Paradigm

by MistoElectra



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ianto is a primary school teacher, Jack is in the RAF, M/M, jack has a son, single dad jack harkness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-12 04:16:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20558090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistoElectra/pseuds/MistoElectra
Summary: Ianto Jones is a Cardiff primary school teacher with a new boy in his Year One class. Captain Jack Harkness is a single dad, hoping for a fresh start with his five year old son. Paths cross, and the two meet, but just what will they make of each other?AKA the everyone's-alive-and-human-and-mortal single parent/teacher AU that no one asked for but I needed nonetheless





	1. First Day of School

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [AriaGrill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AriaGrill/pseuds/AriaGrill) in the [CaptainJackHarknessPromptMeme](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/CaptainJackHarknessPromptMeme) collection. 

In all honesty, Ianto Jones loved his job.

Perhaps it was cliché, but there was something incredibly rewarding to him about being a teacher. Maybe it was because his class this year were Year Ones, and actually the same class he’d taught last year for reception. As such, it made things considerably easier for him, given that he’d already had a year to get to know them, where they struggled, and he’d seen them develop. That and he had admittedly grown fond of his little class as Lansdowne Primary.

His road there…well, that had been a little more rocky. The fact that he’d wanted to be a teacher had surprised more or less his entire family, and had been the source of more than one argument, and he’d been relieved when he’d finally started uni in London. It was where he’d met Lisa, halfway through his second year, and they’d ended up sticking like glue to each other from that point on. She’d been so proud of him when he’d received his first post. They’d had everything planned out, their own little future, and then the accident had happened, and he’d ended up fleeing back to Cardiff, alone and unsure. The post at Lansdowne had ended up being a blessing, the kids helping him just as much as he was helping them, and now in his second year of the job, he was beginning to feel a bit more settled.

Of course, not being the new guy at work also meant taking on more responsibilities, which was how he’d found himself agreeing to help supervise the breakfast club (and yes, his brain did make a million references at that- he was only human after all). Not that he minded, it wasn’t as if it made much difference to his schedule by being at work that little bit earlier, and at least half his class attended, which meant he could shepherd them all down the corridor once the bell rang with an already decent idea of attendance. 

Not to mention, free toast.

It was this morning at the breakfast club that he noticed Tosh- Miss Sato in front of the kids, a fellow teacher and a good friend that he usually ended up taking lunch breaks with- duck into the school canteen, ushering a small boy in with her. Not a kid he’d seen before, so he could only surmise that it was a new student- he’d been told he was getting a new class member at some point this semester, and it seemed that now, two weeks in, was that point. A good time, really, as it would mean the boy hadn’t missed too much. Raising his hand to wave at her, Ianto took a sip of his coffee before crossing the canteen towards them, narrowly dodging a group of Year Threes who were stampeding towards the cereal.

“Mr Jones,” Tosh grinned at him as he deposited his flask on the windowsill, “I’ve got your new student here for you, and he’s going to be joining the breakfast club too. This is Oliver. Oliver, this is Mr Jones, he’s going to be your teacher this year.”

Oliver seemed to study him for a moment, bright blue eyes analysing him with that curiosity inherent in almost all of the five year olds he taught. Dark hair lay tousled across his head, although he didn’t seem to mind too much, and his backpack was almost bigger than he was. After a few moments, he gave a gap-toothed grin up at him, one which Ianto gladly returned.

“I’m five!” Oliver informed him, an American twang colouring an otherwise English accent as he took a moment to think before holding up five fingers, “Me and daddy just moved here from England.”

No mention of a mother, Ianto noted, although his parents could easily just be separated. He mentally filed the information away for later. While it might not be of any importance, there was no harm in being aware, and it meant that there would be less awkwardness around the times of holidays like mothers or fathers day.

“That sounds like quite a move. How about we go and get you some juice and breakfast, and you can tell me all about it, hmm?” he offered, biting back a chuckle as the boy nodded rapidly, grabbing his hand and beginning to tug him towards a table. Tosh simply shot him a smile, before having to dart off to separate two squabbling Year Fours.

Well, it certainly couldn’t be said that his job was ever dull.

****

Ianto made sure to keep a close eye on the new boy as the day progressed, although he was glad to see that Oliver seemed to be fitting right in with his classmates as if he’d been in the class the whole time. He was certainly sociable enough, and Ianto had noted him joining in the games of tag going on out in the playground at lunch. He’d also noted that Oliver’s mother was apparently not in the picture at all, and that he’d lived in High Wycombe before the move, where he’d had a nanny called Estelle who had promised to send him lots of letters. Oliver had also pronounced that he was going to be a pilot when he grew up, and that his daddy had told him he could get a goldfish if he was good. At the sound of that, Ianto had silently thanked the idea of a parent being sensible about promised pets- he’d had to comfort a hysterical Cerys last spring after the puppy she’d been promised had never materialised when her parents realised just how much upkeep of a dog cost.

Now though, while the rest of his class had been collected or filtered off to after school activities, Oliver was still present, pressed against the glass of the window and peering out intently. Crossing the classroom, Ianto rested a hand on the boys shoulder.

“Daddy will be here soon,” he was told before he could even open his mouth, “It was his first day today too, just like me.”

“Well, how about you come back to your desk and do a drawing for him while we wait? I’ll even let you use the good crayons,” he suggested, gently nudging the boy back to his seat and pulling out some paper. The ‘good crayons’ weren’t exactly better, but they were the ones that Milly hadn’t left teeth marks in, so they had that going for them. Oliver seemed to need little encouragement either, and quickly had his head bowed over a drawing of what appeared to be a plane. Content that his student was occupied, Ianto returned to his own desk, eyes scanning over his lesson plan for the next few weeks. There was a field trip coming up, so he’d have to get permission slips distributed for that soon. A few minutes passed, and it was only a quiet cough that broke him from his reverie, looking up to catch sight of…

Well damn, quite possibly the most handsome man he’d ever laid eyes on. A little taller than him, with a long grey military coat resting across broad shoulders. Dark hair that was, mostly, neatly combed down, bright blue eyes, and a strong jaw, a combination that was threatening to make Ianto weak at the knees. Not here though, of course, he was a professional after all.

“Daddy!”

Swallowing and forcing the somewhat…inappropriate thoughts to the back of his mind, Ianto watched as his newest charge pelted across the small classroom with little heed to the no running rule, and leapt into the man’s arms. His father caught him with an ease that spoke of plenty of practice and spun him around before adjusting him on his hip and brushing his lips across the boys temple.

“Hey there soldier,” the man smiled fondly, an American accent spilling from his lips, which explained Oliver’s own twangs, “Sorry I’m late.”

“It’s okay! I stayed with Mr Jones, and I drew you a picture!”

With those words, Oliver was wriggling out of his father’s arms to go and gather his stuff, leaving the man (Mr Harkness?) to turn to Ianto with a charming smile that once again threatened the stability of his knees, “Captain Jack Harkness. Sorry for being late, training stretched out longer than expected and then I had to take a detour around a traffic accident. Thanks for staying with him.”

“It’s my job,” Ianto shrugged, offering his hand to shake, “Jones, Ianto Jones. I’m Oliver’s teacher for the next year.”

“Nice to meet you Jones, Ianto Jones,” Jack replied, his tone smooth and…did he just wink at him? No, Ianto was not going to start swooning over one of his kids’ dads, thank you very much. “Did he get on alright? He was a little nervous this morning.”

“Oh yes, he’s settled in quite well. He should be caught up with the rest of the class curriculum-wise fairly quickly, and he’s already formed a little group of friends. He’s a very sociable, bright little boy,” Ianto nodded, glancing towards where Oliver was slotting the crayons back into their packet before looking back at Jack who’d been doing the same, an affectionate smile colouring his lips. 

“He is. I was a little worried that he might get a bit shy, with the move and everything. It’s been a bit more upheaval than I would have liked, so I’m glad he’s settling in.”

“Oliver mentioned you were in High Wycombe before?” Ianto asked curiously, hoping he wasn’t prying too much as he accepted the packet of crayons back, storing them in his desk drawer.

“That would be right. I’m RAF, just finished active duty and transferred here. More regular hours for this little man,” Jack responded, picking up his son again and slinging the boys rucksack across his shoulder, “Thanks again for waiting with him, hopefully won’t happen again.”

“It’s really no bother. I’ll see you tomorrow morning Oliver, don’t forget to do your spellings now,” the teacher called as the boy and his father bid their goodbyes, and inwardly he briefly cursed at the fact that the greatcoat the other man was wearing was hiding what was probably a fantastic arse, before he caught himself. No, he really shouldn’t be thinking about the parents of his students that way. It was unprofessional.

So naturally, the first thing he did was text Gwen and Tosh.


	2. First Day of Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has his first day of work. Owen makes an appearance. Jack finds himself very interested in his son's new teacher.

Jack Harkness woke, as usual, fifteen minutes before his alarm was due to go off. It was a habit borne of years of early wake ups, both with and without alarms, and as such, his body clock liked to wake him up no later than six in the morning, no matter his plans. For a moment, he allowed himself to just lie there, absorbing the warmth, but after a second the urge to move became too great and he swung himself out of the bed, padding to the bathroom with a yawn.

Even as he washed and dressed, he couldn’t deny the ball of nerves coiling in his gut. Not for himself, no, transferring to a different base didn’t bother him in the slightest. He’d done it several times before, and while of course he missed some of his old colleagues, it was no huge hardship. Being here was better, meant less danger, more regular hours, and most importantly, it meant he could be around for Oliver more.

No, the nerves he was feeling were undoubtedly in sympathy with his five year old son. In truth, he was probably more nervous for Oliver’s first day of school than Oliver himself was. But he was relatively sure those feelings were valid, after all, they had moved over one hundred miles to a completely new place, a new country, where they knew almost no one. A fresh start.

But maybe it would be good for them.

Checking his reflection in the mirror, he finished combing his hair into place and made his way downstairs to the kitchen, humming softly to himself. It was still early, which meant he had time to make pancakes. A special breakfast, to celebrate the first day at school, even if he was dropping him off for a breakfast club. 

Dishing the pancakes onto some plates and depositing them on the table, he headed back up the stairs, slowly opening the door to his son’s room and peering in. Oliver was splayed out across the mattress, teddy bear clutched tight in one fist and one foot poking out from underneath the duvet, still fast asleep. A rush of love and pride and affection swelled in Jack’s chest at the sight, a smile crossing his lips. Gently, he knelt by the bed.

“Ollie? C’mon, buddy, time to get up now.”

His son yawned, screwing up his face as he turned to face him, but after a split second, he held his arms out to him. Much as Jack was trying to break him of the habit of wanting to be carried or held all the time, he didn’t quite have the heart to do so now, and he gathered him up in his arms, letting the boy cling to him like a little monkey.

“First day for both of us, hmm? I’ve made pancakes,” he grinned as he returned to the kitchen, depositing Oliver at the table and giving his hair a ruffle for good measure. He didn’t need any encouragement, tucking into the breakfast faster than Jack could blink, “How are you feeling about school?”

Oliver thankfully took a second to swallow down the remains of the pancake stuffed in his mouth, thinking about the question before replying with a quiet shrug, “Don’t know.”

Well, Jack supposed that was better than him feeling bad about it, but it still did nothing to quell his own nerves. He’d made the right decision, hadn’t he, moving them all the way from High Wycombe to Cardiff? The upheaval had been considerable, but Oliver had seemed quite excited to see a new place, to get a new room to decorate how he pleased and the concept of daddy being home more often. Oliver had not been so excited though when he’d realised that moving meant leaving his nanny Estelle behind, even though Jack had explained that they couldn’t just make her move with them. He had to admit that saying goodbye to her had brought a lump to his own throat, but they’d agreed that they would write and have regular phone calls as often as they could, and maybe even the occasional visit when they had time. Nonetheless, it was still a big change for the both of them.

“You feeling a little nervous, buddy?” he asked softly, reaching his hand over to give Oliver’s a gentle squeeze. The small boy shrugged again before nodding slowly and clambering across into Jack’s lap. Instinctively, he pulled his son close to his chest, tucking his head under his chin and pressing a kiss to his hair, “It’ll all be alright. I bet you’ll make a ton of friends, just you wait and see. It’s okay to be nervous.”

The thought seemed to comfort Oliver, although he chose to stay tucked into his father’s lap, chewing on his pancakes while cuddling close. Jack relished in the moment, doing his best to commit every detail to memory. He’d missed more than he would have liked of Oliver’s first few years due to his profession, and he had vowed that he wasn’t going to let that happen anymore. He was going to be there for his son, no matter what.

“Okay, bud, time to get dressed.”

Before long, Oliver was jumping down the stairs in his new uniform, and Jack could feel tears pricking at his eyes. A proud smile sliding onto his face, he knelt to lightly adjust the collar and attempt to tidy the wild flyaway hair (not that it helped) before pulling out his phone. He needed a photo of this, wanted to save the memory forever, and so he quickly helped the boy pull his rucksack on before getting him to stand in the front door.

Another milestone. But this one he was here for, he told himself. He was here, with his darling little boy and he couldn’t be prouder.

He was also thankful that he’d made sure that Oliver’s schoolbag and lunchbox were prepacked the night before, because the last thing they really needed was for something be left behind or forgotten. Not that the school was too far away from their new house, but he wasn’t sure his superiors would be too amused if he had to leave mid-work to retrieve his son’s sandwiches. He was going to be distracted enough today as it was. But he set that thought aside for the moment.

It was time to get his son to school.

******

“Now, are you distracted today or are you just trying to ignore me, because I’m hoping it’s the former.”

Jack’s head snapped up in recognition at the familiar voice, and as he caught sight of it’s owner a wide grin spread across his face. Pushing himself to his feet, he pulled the smaller man into a crushing hug, much to the other’s protest.

“Owen Harper, long time no see.”

“Doctor Owen Harper, I haven’t lost my qualifications since the last time we saw each other. Which was only six months ago, but then again you always did have a flare for the dramatic, didn’t you?” the younger man responded, but there was an upward quirk to the corner of his lips that assured that it was all in jest, “Plus we spoke on the phone a week ago. All settled in now, I presume?”

“More or less,” Jack laughed as Owen sat down opposite him, practically cradling a mug of steaming coffee, “Every time I think I’m finished, I find another box, but I’m finally getting to the end of it now. At least Ollie’s room is completely sorted now.”

Owen studied him for a moment before understanding dawned in his expression and he nodded, “And I’m guessing that he’s the source of your current distraction? How is the little squirt anyway? I’ll have to stop by and pay a visit.”

“He’s good. A little bit nervous this morning, first day at a new school and all that, although I probably felt worse about it than he did. I’ve got another training exercise after lunch, then I’m picking him up from school. You?”

The young doctor rolled his eyes and snorted, taking a considerable gulp of his coffee, “More physical exams, and the stack of admin that’s been piling up on my desk since last week. After that? The night is young.”

“In other words, you’re going out on the pull,” Jack laughed, shaking his head, before glancing at the clock. Nearly the end of his lunch break, “I’d better head back. Give me a call and we’ll arrange a night, get some takeout and catch up.”

Grinning, he gave a mock salute to the doctor, who responded by flipping him off, before turning on his heel and returning to his post. He’d made it through half of the day so far, and it wouldn’t be too long before he’d be heading to pick Oliver up from school. He could manage a few more hours.

*****

Except, he was running late. Glancing from the time to the speedometer and back, he cursed under his breath. The training exercise had dragged on, he was ten minutes from Oliver’s school, and he was supposed to have picked him up ten minutes ago. Would Ollie be okay? Would he be worried? What if something had happened- No. If something had happened, they would have phoned him about it. Ollie was probably just waiting for him at the school, he told himself, with absolutely nothing wrong.

He put his foot down anyway.

He made it in seven minutes, even if he did probably violate one or two traffic laws in the process, and was directed to the right classroom, relieved when he spotted Oliver sitting drawing at a desk. Clearing his throat, he beamed as his son looked up and charged at him, catching him as he threw himself forward. Hugging him close, he nuzzled him affectionately before balancing him on his hip.

“Hey there soldier. Sorry I’m late.”

“It’s okay! I stayed with Mr Jones, and I drew you a picture!”

After a brief moment of wriggling, Jack deposited his son back on the ground, watching him dash to his desk before turning his attention to the aforementioned Mr Jones, managing to hold back his own short intake of breath. To be quite frank? Mr Jones was positively gorgeous, and Jack was very interested. And perhaps a little jealous of his five year old son. So he plastered on his most charming smile.

“Captain Jack Harkness. Sorry for being late, training stretched out longer than expected and then I had to take a detour around a traffic accident. Thanks for staying with him.”

“It’s my job,” the other man replied, and his accent hit Jack like a ton of bricks. Goddammit, he’d always been a sucker for a pretty voice, and now wasn’t really the time, not with his five year old present, “Jones, Ianto Jones. I’m Oliver’s teacher for the next year.”

Ianto Jones. Now there was a name he wasn’t going to forget easily any time soon. Already his mind was conjuring up thoughts that really weren’t appropriate.

“Nice to meet you, Jones, Ianto Jones,” he winked, unable to help himself, and he caught the brief look of surprise in the others face as a slight flush came to his cheeks. Grinning, he spoke again, “Did he get on alright? He was a little nervous this morning.”

At the change of subject, the young man seemed to collect himself, nodding and glancing towards the five year old, “Oh yes, he’s settled in quite well. He should be caught up with the rest of the class curriculum-wise fairly quickly, and he’s already formed a little group of friends. He’s a very sociable, bright little boy.”

Relief flooded through Jack at that thought. It had been bothering him all day, the fear that Oliver would maybe struggle with the move, struggle to fit in at his new school, but to know that he’d taken to it like a duck to water was a weight off his mind, “He is. I was a little worried that he might get a bit shy, with the move and everything. It’s been a bit more upheaval than I would have liked so I’m glad he’s settling in.”

“Oliver mentioned you were in High Wycombe before?” Jones, Ianto Jones asked, and Jack could hear the curiosity in his tone. A reasonable curiosity he told himself, and he nodded slowly.

“That would be right,” Jack agreed as Oliver returned to his side, and he took the rucksack from him, slinging it across his own shoulder, “I’m RAF, just finished active duty and transferred here. More regular hours for this little man.”

Amongst other reasons, Jack thought to himself, but he pushed that aside, scooping Oliver back up into his arms, “Thanks again for waiting with him, hopefully won’t happen again.”

“It’s really no bother. I’ll see you tomorrow morning Oliver, don’t forget to do your spellings now,” Ianto Jones said with a soft smile that made Jack’s heart melt just a tad. Grinning, he adjusted his grip on his son before turning and beginning the walk back to the car.

Was it wrong to say he was already highly looking forward to parent-teacher evenings?


End file.
